MIDDLE MERAMEC CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITY AREA PARTNERSHIP
Woodlands for Wildlife
A Natural Resource Stewardship Action Plan
Contents
PART I: Woodlands for Wildlife Project ........................................................................ 3
•
Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3
•
Project Area ................................................................................................................................ 4
•
Vision Statement ....................................................................................................................... 4
•
Project Goals & Objectives .................................................................................................. 5
•
Community Of Interest .......................................................................................................... 7
PART II: Implementation Considerations ...................................................................... 8
•
Biophysical Baseline Conditions......................................................................................... 8
1. Landcover Data ............................................................................................................................... 8
2. Ownership Characteristics .............................................................................................................. 8
3. Heritage Points and SOCC.............................................................................................................. 9
4. Land Type Associations (LTAs) ..................................................................................................... 9
6. Resource Assessment Monitoring (RAM) - fish community data................................................ 10
7. Mussel data ................................................................................................................................... 11
•
Socio-Economic Baseline Conditions .............................................................................. 11
1. Demographics ............................................................................................................................... 11
2. Geo-Political Jurisdictions ............................................................................................................ 11
3. Political Culture ............................................................................................................................ 12
4. Landowner Attitudes and Objectives ............................................................................................ 12
5. Family Forest Ownership .............................................................................................................. 12
6. Human Development Potential ..................................................................................................... 12
7. Land Values .................................................................................................................................. 12
8. Forest Industry .............................................................................................................................. 12
9. Employment .................................................................................................................................. 12
10. Woodland Owner’s Survey Findings .......................................................................................... 13
•
Land Management Issues & Strategies .......................................................................... 13
1. Significant Issues to be Resolved: ................................................................................................ 13
2. Management Strategies: ................................................................................................................ 14
•
Marketing Strategies ............................................................................................................. 15
1. Conservation Through Marketing ................................................................................................. 15
2. Significant Issues to be Resolved: ................................................................................................ 16
3. Audiences ...................................................................................................................................... 16
4. Messages for Landowners............................................................................................................. 16
5. Messages for Businesses ............................................................................................................... 16
1
6. Specific Marketing Strategies ....................................................................................................... 17
•
Action Steps .............................................................................................................................. 18
•
Funding Sources ...................................................................................................................... 19
•
Supplemental Information .................................................................................................. 20
2
PART I: Woodlands for Wildlife Project
Introduction
The Middle Meramec Conservation Opportunity Area (COA), nestled within the greater Meramec
River Basin, is an area which was identified in the 2004 Missouri Comprehensive Wildlife Strategy as a
place where a number of Species of Conservation Concern (SOCC) are at risk. The federally listed
Indiana and gray bats, and three (soon to be four) federally listed species of freshwater mussels are
found in the basin. Beyond providing bat habitat, the forests of the area are also important summer
habitat for several neo-tropical migrant song birds.
Multiple factors including likelihood of development, large forest patch size, public drinking water
supply, and wildlife habitat resulted in portions of the Meramec Basin also being classified as a Priority
Forest Landscape in Missouri’s 2010 Forest Resource Assessment and Strategy (FRAS) process.
Since the majority of forested land within the Meramec Basin is in private ownership, a landscape-scale
approach to forest stewardship is an important means of maintaining and restoring habitat critical for the
SOCC mentioned above. The forests of the region are generally over-stocked and most are in need of
thinning to remain healthy and provide the type of habitat required by several declining bird species.
Forested riparian corridors help provide clean water for high quality aquatic habitat, and they also
provide foraging areas for bats. Management practices carried out by private landowners in the basin
will be a very important means to achieving conservation goals for the area.
The Meramec River Basin is very large, covering approximately 2.5 million acres, and is comprised of 3
8-digit watersheds: the Meramec, the Big, and the Bourbeuse. The entire basin provides important
habitat for the SOCC mentioned above. Where should management activities begin? The
Comprehensive Wildlife Strategy helps in this regard by identifying the Middle Meramec COA, a subset
of the Meramec watershed. However, the COA covers about 440,000 acres – still too large an area to
begin working effectively with landowners in. The project team made up of conservation professionals
has identified a 63,000 acre landscape within the COA to address first. The project to be developed in
this area has been named Woodlands For Wildlife (WFW).
The Woodlands For Wildlife Project will rely on interested partners that share in the project objectives,
participating on a voluntary basis. The project will involve interested government agencies,
conservation NGOs, and most importantly private landowners within the project area who wish to
participate. Where appropriate, the project will also seek to work with the Meramec Regional Planning
Commission, the Crawford County Commission, and local interested businesses.
3
Project Area
The project area is bounded on
the west by Huzzah Creek and
on the east by Courtois Creek.
The southern boundary of the
area is at Hwy. 49 and Hwy. C.
The northern end of the project
is, and includes, the 6,225 acre
Huzzah Conservation Area.
The majority of the project area
falls within Crawford County,
with a small portion in
Washington County.
Vision Statement
Our vision for the Woodlands For Wildlife project is to improve the native plant and animal
communities on public and private lands for people to enjoy today and into the future. We believe
landowners want to make good land use choices and they should have a voice in shaping their
conservation program. By working with each other and sharing knowledge, we can create a flexible and
voluntary program that respects and reaches our common goals.
4
Project Goals & Objectives
The project partners created an initial list of goals for WFW. The team then worked to combine and
eliminate different goals according to how a particular goal related to the WFW vision statement.
Goal #1: Improve and maintain healthy ecosystems.
The project’s first goal is to restore, protect and manage forests that contribute to the rehabilitation and
enhancement of SOCC which occur in the COA.
Major emphases for the initiative are the adoption of woodland and glade restoration practices in upland
forests, and protection and restoration of riparian corridors and bottomlands.
Objective #1:
Improve/restore open woodlands and glades on 5000 acres of public/USFS land and 1000 acres of
private land to benefit woodland focal species Blue-Winged warbler, Prairie Warbler, and Eastern
Wood-Pewee by 2015.
Measures: 5000 acres of public land would include 1116 acres of
Timber Stand Improvement, 1640
acres of shelter wood cuts, 624
acres of thinning, and 1564 acres
of seed tree harvests.
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Prairie Warbler
Objective #2:
Create and maintain 150 acres of intact riparian corridors/buffers on private
land and complete 2228 feet of stream bank stabilization on public land by
2015.
Measures: A focal species for buffers has not been identified, and the
partnership will look to MDC leadership as statewide Aquatic Conservation
Opportunity Area monitoring protocol is established.
Pink Mucket
Objective #3:
Restore 100 acres of bottomland forest and 2 wetland sites on public land and secure funds to
successfully meet all demand for bottomland forest, mesic forest, and wetland restoration projects on
private land by 2015.
Measures: A measurable objective for acres of bottomland
hardwoods, mesic forests, and wetlands on private land has not been
identified, but information on how to restore these habitats is to be
major part of the outreach effort in Woodlands for Wildlife.
Cerulean Warbler
5
Objective #4:
Remove invasive species from 175 acres of private land, 500 acres of USFS land, and 25 acres of MDC
land by 2015.
Measures: Targeted species are to include but not be
limited to sericiea lespedeza, spotted knapweed, bush
honeysuckle, and feral hogs.
Bush Honeysuckle
Goal #2: Engage private landowners.
Feral Hogs
Objective:
Develop a landowner advisory committee by March 1st, 2010, and have at least one landowner
workshop and one landowner tour specifically for key landowners each year until 2015.
Measures: Direct mailings will be sent to all landowners with 10 or more acres, inviting them to each
event.
Goal #3: Share forestry information and offer management assistance to
landowners.
Objective:
For the 292 landowners in the project area who own more than 10 acres, double the statewide average
who have Forest Management Plans and who have received advice from the state forest agency by 2015.
Measures: This equates to 4.2% of landowners (12
individuals) having a Forest Management Plan and 15.4%
(45 individuals) having received advice from the state
forestry agency.
6
Community Of Interest
There are many groups which have interests in the Meramec River watershed. The following agencies
and organizations place importance on the Middle and Lower Meramec River, and have enlisted as
planning and implementation partners:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
American Bird Conservancy
American Rivers
Audubon Society
Crawford County Government
Ducks Unlimited
Franklin County Planning & Zoning
Department
Friends of La Barque Creek
Great Rivers Greenway
Meramec Regional Planning Commission
Meramec River Greenway
Meramec River Recreation Association
Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District
Missouri-American Water Company
Missouri Coalition for the Environment
Missouri Department of Conservation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Missouri Department of Natural
Resources
Missouri Department of Health
Missouri Smallmouth Alliance
Missouri Stream Team (a program of
MDC)
The Nature Conservancy of Missouri
Northern Ozark Rivers Partnership
The Open Space Council of the St. Louis
Region
Ozark Outdoors Riverfront Resort
Ozark Regional Land Trust
The Trust for Public Land
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
USDA Forest Service
USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service
The team members involved in the implementation of the Woodlands For Wildlife project include
representatives of:
• Ozark Regional Land Trust
• Mark Twain National Forest
• Missouri Department of Natural Resources
• American Bird Conservancy
• Missouri Department of Conservation (Forestry, Private Land Services, Outreach & Education,
Protection, and Fisheries Divisions)
7
PART II: Implementation Considerations
Biophysical Baseline Conditions
A large amount of resource inventory data has been collected for the WFW project area, and is
summarized below. Data is available for relevant topics ranging from current land cover, to species of
conservation concern (SOCC), to public land ownership.
1. Landcover Data
Oak-hickory forest and woodlands dominate
the rolling hills in the Meramec River
watershed. Oak-pine woodlands are scattered
among the deciduous forest throughout the
southern and eastern portions of the
watershed. Caves are abundant and play a
critical role in providing habitat for numerous
cave-dwelling species.
The WFW project area covers approximately
63,000 acres, of which 85% is forest, 11%
pasture, and 3% woodland, with the
remainder mixed among cropland, urban
development, water, and other minor land
uses.
•
•
Courtois Creek watershed is 90% forested
and 83% forested in the 100ft riparian
corridor.
Huzzah Creek watershed is 78% forested
and 72% forested in the 100ft riparian
corridor.
2. Ownership Characteristics
•
•
•
•
•
48% or 29,829 acres in is public ownership (39% federal, 9% state).
52% or 32,889 acres are in private ownership.
468 landowners in Crawford Co. portion of project area.
114 landowners own tracts larger than 100 acres of land and together own 73% of the private
land.
195 landowners own tracts larger than 50 acres of land and together own 88.2% of the private
land.
8
•
•
52 landowners live locally and own >100 acres; and together own 43% of the private land.
33 landowners live in state but not locally and own > 100 acres; and together own 27% of the
land.
3. Heritage Points and SOCC
•
The WFW project area supports gray and Indiana bat populations. It also serves as excellent
migratory bird habitat, and contributes high quality water to the Meramec River to support its
mussel populations.
4. Land Type Associations (LTAs)
•
The WFW project area contains 4 of the 7 LTAs that are found in the upper Meramec Basin, thus
offering the opportunity for work on the ground to affect a diverse range of habitats and a their
associated species.
9
5. Priority Bird Species in the Middle Meramec COA
•
Central Hardwoods Joint Venture modeling indicates that efforts to restore savanna and
woodlands in the initiative area would improve habitat conditions for high priority bird species
such as Prairie and Blue-winged warblers and Field Sparrows; habitat quality for those species at
the scale of the Meramec River Hills ecological subsection appears to be relatively low
compared with habitat for mature forest bird species. Models for three species of mature forestbreeding birds suggest that the habitat quality and population sizes were relatively stable from
1992 to 2001.
6. Resource Assessment Monitoring (RAM) - fish community data
•
RAM data collected in the Shoal Creek Aquatic Conservation Opportunity Area(ACOA) in 2007
shows a healthy fish community. Shoal Creek ACOA is contained within the Woodlands for
Wildlife management area. Sampling will take place again in 2012.
10
7. Mussel data
•
There have not been a lot of surveys for mussels in the Huzzah or Courtois Creeks and thus there
is not a lot of mussel data. However, there are many species of conservation concern and
federally endangered species beginning at the confluence of the Huzzah and Meramec and going
downstream. The spectaclecase mussel will soon be federally listed by the FWS, and some of
the best remaining spectaclecase beds in North America are in the Middle Meramec COA
downstream of Huzzah Creek.
Socio-Economic Baseline Conditions
A large amount of socio-economic information has been collected for the Middle Meramec COA and
adjoining areas and is summarized below. Information specific to the WFW project area is not
available. Data ranges from land ownership size, to landowner attitudes of woodland restoration work,
to public land ownership percentages.
1. Demographics
•
•
As of the 2000 census, there were 22,804 people, 8,858 households, and 6,351 families residing
in Crawford County. The population density was 31 people per square mile (12/km²). The
average density of housing units was 15 per square mile (6/km²).
The median income for a household in the county was $37,554, and the median income for a
family was $45,059. Males had a median income of $28,005 versus $18,736 for females. The
per capita income for the county was $18,203. About 12.70% of families and 16.30% of the
population were below the poverty line, including 23.30% of those under age 18 and 14.10% of
those age 65 or over. The national average in 2000 was 11.3% of total population living below
poverty level.
2. Geo-Political Jurisdictions
•
The major political entity within the project area is Crawford County, with Steelville (pop. 1,500) as
its county seat, though Steelville is not in the Woodlands For Wildlife project area. The town of
Viburnum (pop. 825) is immediately adjacent to the southern boundary of the project area. The
project area lies within the jurisdiction of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission.
11
3. Political Culture
•
Like most rural areas, voters in Crawford County generally strongly support socially and
culturally conservative principles and therefore tend to vote Republican. Despite Crawford
County’s longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the
county have a penchant for advancing populist causes like increasing the minimum wage. In
2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the
state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Crawford County with 76.78 percent of the vote.
4. Landowner Attitudes and Objectives
•
•
•
•
Many feel there was no economical benefit for them in managing shortleaf pine.
A majority of landowners have objectives for their land involving hunting of game species such
as deer, turkey, and quail.
A majority of landowners cite aesthetic reasons for growing and managing shortleaf pine.
[Source: Missouri Shortleaf Pine Focus Groups (MDC)]
5. Family Forest Ownership
•
Forest ownership is dominated by people over age 60 and large changes in forest ownership are
about to occur.
[Source: Changes in family forest ownership (USDA)]
6. Human Development Potential
•
The Upper Meramec watershed along the I-44 corridor has the highest potential for development
and change compared to any other area in the state.
[Source: Forests on the Edge (USDA)]
7. Land Values
•
The Upper Meramec region has the lowest land values in the state for pastureland and
timber/hunting/recreation land.
[Source: 2008 University of Missouri Extension Land Values Opinion Survey]
8. Forest Industry
•
There is a strong and active wood products industry in the area including pallet, stave, charcoal,
etc.
[Source: Economic impacts of MO forest products industry]
9. Employment
•
Current unemployment in the counties is at the top of the state and country.
[Source: Unemployment in Crawford/Washington Counties]
12
10. Woodland Owner’s Survey Findings
•
•
•
•
Important Ownership Concerns
o Trespassing or poaching
o Keeping land intact for heirs
o Misuse of forest land
o Insects or plant diseases
o Fire
Reasons for Owning
o Beauty/Scenery
o Privacy
o Pass land on to heirs
o Nature Protection
o Part of home or cabin
Forest Health Concerns
o Insects or plant diseases
o Air or water pollution
o Fire
o Wind or ice storms
o Undesirable plants
Important Statistics
o 2% of MO forest landowners have a forest management plan
o 14.5% of MO landowners have received advice from a state forest agency, extension,
other state agency, federal agency, or private consultant. (7.7% from state forest
agency)
o 6.2% of MO forest landowners have received cost-share assistance (2.4% in the last 5
years).
o 63% of MO forest landowners are > 55 years of age.
o 72.6% of MO landowners have a household income of less than $100,000.
[Source: USDA 2006 Survey of MO Forest Landowners]
Land Management Issues & Strategies
This section addresses the bio-physical baseline conditions, with recommendations on general
management practices that will contribute to meeting plan objectives such as riparian restoration,
buffers, stand treatments, etc. This information should be technically sufficient to “streamline”
individual landowner plans as they come forward for this level of assistance.
1. Significant Issues to be Resolved:
•
Lack of diversity in the uplands
There is a concern that the upland habitats no longer support the diversity of plants and animals
that were historically present.
13
•
•
•
Prescribed fire on private land
There is concern that a lack of prescribed fire on private lands precludes any attempt at restoring
or maintaining diversity in the uplands.
Potential for land fragmentation
There is concern that lands will continue to be fragmented as development increases along the I44 corridor and as land ownership changes in the future.
Need for additional forestry expertise
There is a concern that private landowners are not being adequately reached by professional
foresters and other resource professionals who can help them make informed conservation-based
decisions.
2. Management Strategies:
 Upland Forest Management Oriented Strategies
• Continue work to eradicate invasive species.
o Learn to identify locally important invasives.
o Follow established control measures for invasives that are present.
o Identify and eliminate potential transmission routes of invasives.
•
Maintain and increase forested habitat for high-priority bird species.
Increase the diversity of wooded natural communities present in the focus area.
o Maintain healthy, vigorous woodlands by reducing over-stocked areas through use of
TSI.
o Manage for site-appropriate natural communities.
 Increase the use of prescribed fire where appropriate and feasible.
o Restore/enhance riparian buffers and corridors.
 Fence cattle out of riparian buffer zones.
 Establish alternative watering sources.
 Establish cedar tree revetments and other structures to increase bank
stabilization where necessary.
 Discontinue crop field cultivation right up to the stream bank
 Plant trees in riparian buffer zones.
o Manage landscapes for a mosaic of forest communities, age classes, and density
classes.
o Restore oak – shortleaf pine forest communities on appropriate sites.
•
Conserve glades, fens and other natural communities.
o Glades
 Learn to identify what degraded glades look like.
 Learn to identify native glade vegetation.
 Cut redcedars, elms, and other woody plants, and treat stumps of cut trees with
herbicide to prevent resprouting.
 Use prescribed burning to maintain open condition and stimulate growth of
glade natural community plants.
14
o Fens
 Cut invasive woody vegetation and treat stumps with aquatic-friendly herbicide
(like Rodeo) to maintain an open condition.
 Use prescribed burning to maintain open condition and stimulate growth of fen
natural community plants, and limit the spread of invasives.
 Conserve or restore the fen recharge watershed to maintain water quality and
quantity entering the fen.
o Other Natural Communities
 Restore oak – shortleaf pine forest communities on appropriate sites.
 Manage for site-appropriate natural communities.
 Increase the use of prescribed fire where appropriate and feasible.
 Explore the use of other silvicultural methods such as TSI, and
commercial thinning to achieve elevated levels of sunlight on the
forest floor as an alternative to prescribed burning.
 Manage landscapes for a mosaic of forest communities, age classes, and density
classes.
 Aquatic System Oriented Strategies:
• Improve water quality for drinking water, and to protect and restore existing mussel
and native fish populations.
o Use BMPs during forest management activities, especially timber harvests.
o Construct graveled cattle crossings in smaller creeks.
o Limit gravel mining activities, or when gravel mining is absolutely necessary follow
established guidelines to minimize impacts.
o Restore/enhance riparian buffers and corridors.
 Fence livestock out of riparian buffer zones.
 Establish alternative watering sources for livestock.
 Establish alternative shelter from the weather for livestock.
 Establish cedar tree revetments and other structures to increase bank
stabilization where necessary.
 Discontinue crop field cultivation right up to the stream bank
 Plant trees in riparian buffer zones.
Marketing Strategies
This section is aimed at influencing and engaging landowners using social marketing techniques. What
methods & messages are most likely to improve awareness and increase attitudes?
1. Conservation Through Marketing
Many citizens and natural resource professionals assume the term “marketing” has the same
meaning as the word “advertising”. However, these two terms have two clearly different meanings.
15
Conservation marketing is a planning process that works to understand customer needs and values in
order to develop products and services that they need, want, and trust, and which produce a
“conservation profit”. Advertising, on the other hand, is simply “promoting” programs, products,
and services that have already been created by agencies and non-profit groups. The Middle
Meramec COA partnership aims to team with local landowners to create “win/win” programs that
meet landowners’ needs and values through products and services that help landowners create and
maintain plant and animal communities for future generations to enjoy.
2. Significant Issues to be Resolved:
•
•
Sharing resource management information with landowners
There is a concern that landowners are not being reached with information that can help them
make informed decisions regarding how best to manage their lands for conservation purposes.
Landowners’ distrust of government respecting private property rights
There is concern that partnerships between government agencies and private landowners will not
be successful due to a lack of trust between the two.
3. Audiences
There are three broad audiences for marketing communications within the COA:
• Landowners
• Businesses
• Organizations
4. Messages for Landowners
•
•
•
•
•
A managed forest is a healthy forest, with less threat of wild fire.
Woodland and Forest Management improves your land for future generations.
Woodland management improves the beauty and scenery of your property while protecting
nature.
This voluntary program is designed by landowners like you, for you.
Streamside forest restoration and alternative watering systems bring additional income to the
farm and increase the value of your land.
5. Messages for Businesses
•
•
•
•
•
Best Management Practices protect your investments and future profits.
Potential demand and income is right around the corner, get trained and be ready for it.
Lots of opportunity and demand for the services you provide is concentrated in this small area,
close to home.
Lots of conservation funding is available to benefit both local businesses and local landowners,
and wildlife populations.
We are interested in win/win/win deals, in which a “conservation profit” is produced and
benefits are seen by local residents and businesses.
16
6. Specific Marketing Strategies
•
Products and Services
The following products are currently offered in WFW:
o FSA CRP programs (include annual rental rate payments)
o NRCS EQUIP and WHIP programs
o ORLT $200/acre signup bonus for CRP CP-22 contracts
o MDC 75% cost-share on a wide range of conservation practices
o Forest Service Partnerships to burn on adjoining private land
o Conservation Easements through ORLT, including fair market value payment
o General Landowner workshops (forestry management, materials, etc.)
o Prescribed fire workshops (technical workshops)
o On the ground technical assistance from MDC and NRCS
o Limited supply of equipment to complete conservation projects with
o Call Before You Cut campaign to help landowners log timber property
o Increased opportunity for wildlife law enforcement support
o Opportunity for wildlife law enforcement support
The following are possible products to offer in WFW as part of Marketing Action Plan:
o MDC 90% cost-share on a wide range of conservation practices
o 90% cost-share on Woodland restoration projects greater than 15 acres in size
o Detailed soils mapping
o Incentive for landowners to use certified loggers
o Incentives to implement management plans
o Leveraged incentives (water hole deal maker)
o 3rd party independent information
o Tips sheet for landowners on landowner recommended conservation contractors to use
o USFS “good neighbor relationship”
17
Action Steps
Action Steps Task
Marketing Goal
Accomplishment
Date
Responsibility
Target funds to
implement USFS
projects (there are
little to no funds
currently available
to fund projects on
private land)
1
Continuous
Adam/Lynda/Abigail
Form a landowner
committee (this
committee will be
vital to the success
of the partnership
as the program is
tailored to
landowner needs
and values)
2
3/1/2010
Mark/Rob/Abigail
Conduct a winter
landowner
workshop
(invitations will be
mailed to all WFW
landowners with
>10 acres of land)
3
2/1/2010
Adam/Mark/Nate/Ly
nda
Integrate forest bird
monitoring into
WFW action plan
1
1/1/2011
Jane/Lynda/Mark
Integrate vegetation 1
response monitoring
into WFW action
plan
1/1/2011
Lynda/Mark/Nate
1
1/1/2011
Jane/Adam/Rob
Work to revise CP31 (Bottomland
Timber CRP)
qualifications to
include marginal
pastureland
(currently, CP-31 is
limited only to
bottomland fields
18
with 3 years of crop
history from 19952001)
Funding Sources
The partnership currently has funds enough to implement conservation projects on private land within
our limited capacity through 2011. The timeline of this action plan goes through 2015, so funds will
need to be targeted to complete projects in years 2012-2015. However, funds are extremely scarce to
implement funds on public land. The projects listed in this plan to be completed on National Forest are
approved and ready to implement, but very few of them have the funding to get them accomplished. For
example, a 100 acre bottomland hardwood restoration project has been approved for National Forest
along Courtois Creek, but no funds are available to implement the project. Several mid-story treatments
to enhance open woodland habitats on National Forest are also ready to be implemented but lack
funding. The only activities that the USFS consistently funds are prescribed burning and timber stand
improvements following commercial harvests.
The partnership has acquired two grants this year with the goal of being able to offer high cost-share
rates in WFW which more easily allow private landowners to implement restoration projects. The
following is a summary of funding sources available to private landowners in WFW.
•
•
•
•
•
•
NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG): $60,000 is available over the next three years for
woodland restoration, riparian restoration, and alternative livestock watering sources.
Upper Mississippi Watershed Grant: $15,000 is available in fiscal year 2010 for woodland
restoration.
MDC Cost-share docket: MDC has a small amount of funds available to private landowners for a
variety of projects. Although these funds are relatively small in size, they are extremely
important in the matching funds which are required by the grants that the partnership wants to
bring to Woodlands for Wildlife.
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP): This Farm Service Agency program is a continuous
signup program which pays 90% of costs associated with riparian restoration, bottomland
hardwood restoration, wetland restoration, alternative livestock watering systems, etc., and
includes an annual rental rate for many of its practices.
ORLT CP-22 Signup bonus: ORLT is currently offering a $200 per acre signup bonus for acres
within the Huzzah watershed that are enrolled into CRP Conservation Practice 22.
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program
(WHIP): These programs through NRCS are awarded annually on a competitive basis. Costshare rates vary but are usually around 75%.
The current funding gap for the partnership is for funds to implement projects on National Forest and
MDC lands. The partnership aims to work with governmental agencies and NGOs to obtain funding for
these public land projects. The implementation of these public land projects will be necessary for the
partnership to meet its goals set forth in this document. Not only are these projects a large portion of the
acres set forth in the goals of this document, these projects are necessary to show local citizens that
19
public land is being managed in the same manner that the partnership is recommending private land
owners to manage their lands.
Supplemental Information
Appendices and reference materials to strengthen the plan and guide implementation. Include linkages
to financial and technical resources for the client to draw upon. A glossary of terms.
20